Martin Richard

BOSTON (CBS) — They are the faces of Martin Richard; his soccer coach, his neighbor, his friend’s dad, a local mom, even his second-grade teacher.

They are Team MR8 with one mission: “Trying to live out his legacy of no more hurting people, peace and wanting to really help Jane and Henry and the rest of the family move forward and use this as something for good,” explained Martin’s second-grade teacher, Rachel Moo.

Moo said running was their connection.

Martin Richard (Credit: Richard family Facebook)

“When Martin was in my class, he had always wanted to run a marathon and said that he wanted to run his first marathon with me when he was old enough to apply,” she said.

For his soccer coach, joining the MR8 Team wasn’t even a question.

“He was an amazing athlete and he thought I was a good soccer coach and I wasn’t, it was because Martin did everything. Everything I needed Martin did. He was just a wonderful kid so when they asked to run the marathon I had to step up,” Harry Benzan said.

But for most, this is about healing and moving forward.

“You find out it’s someone you know and it affected by son Michael a lot cause it was the first time he’s ever had to deal with a tragedy like that and us as well. It was really tough,” Paul Mangum said.

Neighbor Michelle Griffin says for Martin’s family and Boston as a whole, it’s time to move on together. “For the Richard family, for the community, and Boston as a whole to move forward, just to be strong together”

“Most of the charities come out of something unfortunate and sad but they’ve figured out a way to really fight back and turn it into something positive,” local mom Jo Lysko said.

For this group, being part of team MR8, is an honor and a mission, for the future of the foundation, but also for Martin.

“So Bill said ‘Martin will never run marathon so you have to run the marathon as Martin. So when I got up at 3:50 a.m. to run through Boston I was Martin Richard,” Benzan said.